"My mother, Dona Ignacia Arguello, your ex-
cellency, who unites with me in praying that you
will regard our home as yours during your so-
journ in the north. My sister, Maria de la Con-
cepcion Marcella Arguello, and my little sisters,
Ana Paula and Gertrudis Rudisinda. My
brothers: Gervasio--soldado distinguido of the
San Francisco Company; Santiago, a cadet in the
same company; Francesco and Toribio, whose
presence at the table I beg you will overlook, for
when we are so fortunate as to be all together,
senor, we cannot bear to be separated. My oldest
brother, alas--Ignacio--is studying for holy or-
ders in Mexico, and my sister Isabel visits at the
Presidio of Santa Barbara. I beg that you will be
seated, Excellency." And he continued the intro-
duction to the lesser luminaries, with equal cour-
tesy but fewer periods.

Rezanov exchanged a few pleasant words with
his smiling hostess before she returned to her dis-
tracted maids preparing the dinner; but his eyes
during Arguello's declamation had wandered with
a singular fidelity to the beautiful face of the eld-
est daughter of the house. She had responded
with a humorous twinkle in her magnificent black
eyes and not a hint of diffidence. As she entered
the room his brain had flashed out the thought:
"Thank heaven for a pretty girl after these three